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I have often heard him say with pleasure, that he was the better satisfied with his principles, because they were formed on a diligent and impartial study of the holy scriptures themselves. These, indeed, were his constant study from a child; and how he profited in them, sufficiently appears by his works.

for the danger this compliance threatened to our constitution. On this occasion, therefore, he rallied the conduct of his honest, though beguiled friends, in a very keen and witty copy of verses; which he took care should be dropt amongst them, where they usually met, so as to come safe to their hands, and theirs only: He came to London in the year and it was not without it its effect. 1685, and, for the first five years, He is said, likewise, to have been employed himself in the instruc- the author of some of the Poems tion and education of youth. on state affairs, which had been And being now sensible that it printed privately, and were colwas time to study mén as well as lected together just after the Rebooks, he endeavoured to culti-volution, but which they were is vate an acquaintance with several uncertain. persons eminent for their piety, good sense, and learning: and nature had so well furnished him with a capacity of pleasing in conversation, that he seldom failed of recommending himself to men of that character.

He was bred up with a true sense of the value of English liberty, and had very early felt the smart of persecution; having, in the reign of King Charles I. attended his father a considerable time in prison for the cause of conscience and religion. About this time, therefore, he wrote several witty pieces, especially in poetry, which were published, and tended to encourage the spirit of liberty in the people. They were much taken notice of, but never wore his name. It is well known, that by the artful management of the court, several well-meaning persons among the Baptists, as well as of the other denominations of dissenters, were prevailed on to compliment King James, on his declaration for liberty of conscience. Mr. Stennett, young as he was, understood the lure; and was greatly concerned for those who were led into the snare, but most of all

In the year 1688, he was married to Mrs. Susanna Gill, daughter of George Gill, Esq. an eminent French merchant, who, at the time of the revocation of the edict of Nantz, had left his native country, and a very considerable estate there, for the sake of religion. Mr. Gill's elder daughter was married to the Rev. Mr. Daniel Williams, afterwards Dr. Williams, who proved a generous friend to Mr. Stennett.

By the earnest solicitations of his friends, being about this time prevailed on to appear in the pulpit, he was soon taken notice of, especially at an evening-lecture which he preached in Devonshire-square. The congregation, which observed the seventh-day, meeting then at that place, and afterwards at Pinuer's-hall, had been for some time deprived of their worthy pastor, the pious and learned Mr. Francis Bampfield; who, after various sufferings, and many years' confinement, died a prisoner for the sake of a good conscience. This people. soon fixed their eyes upon Mr. Stennett, as a proper successor to so excellent a person. Another situation might have been more to

his temporal advantage, and there | guage. His voice was low, but

were not wanting offers of that kind; yet he preferred the invitation of this small people, by reason of his agreement with them in principles; accordingly he was ordained their pastor, the 4th of March, 1690; and though they were able to do but little towards the support of his family, which proved numerous, yet no temptation could ever prevail on him to leave them, but he continued their faithful and most affectionate pastor to his dying day. His public labours amongst them were, as has been said, on the seventh day; but he preached to divers other congregations constantly on the first day.

sweet and musical; and as he spoke the true sense of his own heart and experience, so the suitable air of his countenance, and the agreeableness of his address, seldom failed of recommending what he said to the attention of judicious hearers. If he entered into a description of the felicity of the heavenly state, such a sweet smile would dwell upon his face, while his melodious tongue gave the beautiful representation, as charmed and captivated the hearts of his audience. And when, at the close of a discourse, he came to reason with sinners about their unhappy condition, and to set before them the generous proposals of the gospel, together with the fatal consequences of their impenitency, he would so mix his tears with his expostulations, as the affections of but few in the assembly could remain unmoved.

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The manner in which his ministry was conducted, sufficiently discovered that he pursued the true ends of it; to convince men of sin, and lead them to Christ for life and salvation; to make them truly wise, and good, and happy. He laboured industri- His judgment in casuistical ously to answer these great and divinity, and his large acquaintgood ends, by the diligent pre ance with experimental religion, parations of his study: and yet were attended with such a sweetthose who were nearest him ness and tenderness of spirit, as knew how humbly he would ex-invited many persons of afflicted press his sense of the necessity minds and doubting consciences of the Divine assistance; and to apply to him for advice; who with what holy warmth he would always met with a hearty welplead with God for the help of come, and seldom went away his Spirit. The subjects of his without relief. discourses were well chosen1; and the skill he shewed in handling them will best appear from those which are published. He used to bring nothing with him into the pulpit, except some short hints of the heads of his dis course, and references to texts of scripture; so that he committed things only, and not words, to memory: but though his diction was extemporary, yet it was very easy and natural, for he had a great command of the English lan

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His endeavours to restore any of his flock, who wandered out of the ways of religion, were indefatigable: and those labour's were managed with such a zeal for God's glory, and so apparent a' view to their truest interest, the dignity of his office being always maintained with a most affectionate tenderness to the souls of men, that it must be a hardened mind indeed which could con tinue insensible under his re proofs.

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poesy, and occasioned his being
applied to some few years after,
to revise the Version of David's
Psalms, made by that celebrated
poet Sir John Denham. This is
the rather mentioned, because
when the gentleman who ma-
naged that affair acquainted Dr.
Sharpe, then Archbishop of
York, with his intention, his
Grace was pleased to say,
"He
had heard such a character of
Mr. Stennett, that he thought no
man more fit for that work than
he, not only for his skill in
poetry, but likewise in the He-
brew tongue."

He paid a strict regard to the ordinances of the New Testament, being solicitously careful therein to keep close to what he believed was the original institution. And as he was well qualified for every part of his office, so he shined very much in this. Particularly in the administration of the Lord's Supper, he seldom failed to awaken the most proper sentiments in the minds of the communicants, and to command the attention of every spectator. His mind was remarkably engaged in that ordinance; which occasioned the Hymns he composed for the celebration of it, and which he solemnly dedicated to the great Redeemer. In that dedication he spoke his very soul; and some of his friends have heard him say more than once, that though he found it very hard to please himself in any thing he did, yet that composition plot, Mr. Stennett was fixed tion was his favourite song.

Some of his leisure hours were filled up in translating useful books out of French into our own language: among which were the Bishop of Chiapa's Account of the Cruelties of the Spaniards in America; and Dacier's Plato, &c. At other times he diverted himself in exercising his poetical genuis; and, as his friend Mr. Tate, the Poet-laureat, justly said of him, He had the happiness to be a good poet, without being a slave to the Muses. Though he sometimes employed himself, and entertained his friends, with poems of a pleasant and facetious nature; yet he would never let any thing go into the world under his name, but what was of a serious kind,

His Version of the Canticles appeared pretty early; which, with his Sacramental Hymns, raised his reputation for divine

In the reign of King William, the dissenting ministers of the different denominations in and about London, addressed the throne on several occasions separately. And when the nation congratulated his Majesty on his deliverance from the Assassina

on by the Baptists to draw up their address, which accordingly he did, and presented it the 9th of April, 1696, being introduced by the Right Honourable the Earl of Monmouth, afterwards Earl of Peterborough. This address was at that time much taken notice of.

In the year 1700, being at Tunbridge, for the use of the waters, after his recovery from a dangerous illness, he preached there during the greatest part of the season, to the general satisfaction of the audience; which, together with his great intimacy with Mordecai Abbott, Esq. Receiver-general of the Customs, very much enlarged his acquaintance. That great and good man, who passed with so much reputation through several considerable posts, and was so highly esteemed by King William, continued in them all a strict Non

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conformist; and was so far from decency, yet he conducted his being ashamed to own those with answer in such a manner as not whom in religious matters he to discover the least appearance agreed, that he took all opportu- of anger or resentment throughnities, even before persons of out the whole work, but all along superior rank, to give Mr. Sten-maintained that easy and pleanett such marks of his respect, as sant temper, mixed with fine rendered him uneasy; till he turns of wit, which was so nawas convinced that Mr. Abbott | tural to him. The character he did it designedly, to manifest the gained by this piece, put his regard he had for his character. friends on soliciting him to unThe death of that excellent per- dertake a greater work, which son in the prime of his days, to- had been long wished for, namegether with the loss of his own ly, a complete History of Bapeldest daughter at the age of tism. This he intended to have twelve years, whose great virtues performed, and was for some and understanding had much en-years collecting materials for it; deared her to him, were so severe an affliction to Mr. Stennett, as had like to have proved fatal to him.

It is no wonder that a person of Mr. Stennett's learning and known character had so large a share in the management of affairs among the dissenters of his own denomination; and that cases of difficulty, relating to that interest, from all parts of the kingdom, and some from remoter climates, came under his care.

About the year 1702, when Mr. David Russen published his book, intitled, Fundamentals without a Foundation, or a True Picture of the Anabaptists, Mr. Stennett was prevailed on to answer him; which he soon did with so much learning and solid reasoning, that his antagonist never thought fit to make any reply. In this performance he shewed himself a thorough master of the controversy; and though he had to do with an adversary, whose plain design was to reproach the primitive mode of baptism, and to expose the characters of those who adhered to it, as well as their principles, and who had shewn as little regard to truth as common

but the ill state of his health prevented his making any considerable progress in it. The large extent and great usefulness of this design may, in some measure, appear by the following scheme, taken from a draught yet remaining in the hands of a friend of Mr. Stennett.

"It was proposed, that next to the scripture account, a particular collection should be made out of the authentic writers of the first, second, and third centuries, of every thing material relating to baptism; and a like collection from the authors of the following centuries, down to the time of the Reformation; particular care being taken to examine the books which relate to the ancient Petrobusians, Albigenses, and Waldenses; that all those rabbinical books should be searched, which give any account of the baptism of proselytes among the Jews; as also such Christian writers who argue for or against it: that all Christian liturgies and councils, ancient or modern, should be examined with relation both to the mode and subjects of baptism: that enquiry should be made into the different sentiments of Protest

of this might be given in his dis pute with Mr. Penn the Quaker, Capt Hedworth and Mr. Emirs on the Unitarian points, Mr. Lesley the Nonjuror, and some among the Romanists themselves. The Rev. Mr. W. Wall, who had the thanks of the Convocation for his History of Infant Baptism, (which was afterwards so well and learnedly answered by Dr. John Gale,) conversed with Mr. Stennett several times on the point of baptism; and in a letter he wrote to him, speaking of some altera tions which, after a conversation with him, he had made in the second edition of that History: "Upon reading over the sheets," says he, "I could wish I had revised another place or two, where

ants about baptism at the time of the Reformation, and particu larly for a just account of the circumstances of the German and Hungarian Antipedobaptists: that all the English books which have controverted these points, since the Reformation, should be consulted, the arguments on both sides drawn out, and remarks made how the writers of the church of England, and those of the dissenters, militate with respect to pædobaptism: that a correspondence should be settled with persons of approved integrity and learning, in different parts beyond the seas, to furnish such books and accounts as might give a just idea of the state of the Antipædobaptists abroad; that assistance should be given to the author of the intended History, from enquiries made by others in the several periods of it; but that whatever mate- When he published his Thanksrials were collected by other giving sermon for the victory at hands, he should himself exa-Hochstedt, in 1704, it was premine all the citations, and digest them into such order as he thought fit, making proper reflections throughout the whole work." Such a plan, well and judiciously executed, would, doubtless, have set this subject in a very full and just light, and contributed not a little to the re-popularity, that he concealed this moval of those heats and prejudices for the future, which for merly have too often appeared in discourses concerning bapman who was sent on the royal tism; so that it may well be esteemed an unhappiness to the public, that he did not live to finish it.

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mention you; I would, how much soever we differ, have expressed something more of respect."

sented to Queen Anne, by some noble hand, without his knowledge. Her Majesty having read it over, was highly pleased with the performance, and ordered him a gratuity out of the privy purse, with her thanks to him. But so far was he from affecting

from many of his near friends; and, perhaps, if it had not been first made known by the gentle.

message, very few would ever have heard of it

When committees of the whole body of the dissenting ministers in London were appointed, he usually was one; and it is well known how far his judgment was regarded among them. He had commonly a considerable hand in the addresses they made to the government. One which he

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